Aftelier 1/4 oz perfumes now come in elegant new bottles and packaging (see below), so that's what the winner will receive. To enter, please leave a comment telling us what was your favorite perfume discover in 2012. It doesn't have to be a new fragrance-- just new to you. Winner will be announced on Friday, January 18th.

The other legal stuff that I have to post here: ◆No purchase necessary. Ever. Because I don't sell anything◆participants must be 18 or older◆void where prohibited by law◆regulated by the State of NJ◆

179 comments:

For the first time in over fifteen years, I began wearing perfume again on a semi-regular basis. That fragrance was Lolita Lempicka. I don't know that I would have any idea of how a non-department-store fragrance would smell, as sheepish as I am to admit it. (As a first-time commenter, I would like to add: thank you for your blog and your consistently thoughtful comments on the "frivolous" topic of beauty.)

I adore Aftelier, so I would like to throw in my name. In 2012, my purchase of the year was the largest bottle of Eau Noir by Dior. I finally got to try it in Paris last Christmas, so during this year's Christmas in NYC, I hunted it down. The BG representatives were the most wonderful, so I got it from them.

My favorite perfume discovery of 2012 was Armani Prive Bois d'Encens. It is as wonderful as the reviews. At first I thought it was too much frankincense, but after wearing a few times I am swooning. It is an HG incense perfume for me. Thank you for this opportunity.

2012 was my first year as a serious perfume lover, so nearly everything I smelled was a new discovery to me. My two favourite discoveries of the year were Cuir de Lancome (the closest I've come to the perfect "me" scent) and the magnificent Carnal Flower, which completely shattered my previous belief that I didn't really like florals. Thank you for the chance to win Sepia! It sounds like a fascinating perfume. I've been wanting to try Aftelier's fragrances, and plan to do some serious sampling this year.

My favorite perfume discovery was Sonoma Scent Studios. Seriously, there's not much there that I don't like. Plus there are a few real loves like Tabac Aurea, Jour Ensoleille, and Champagne de Bois, among others.

My 2012 favorite is Ramon Monegal's Impossible Iris. To me the scent is stunningly beautful! As a child my mom grew long hedges of iris that we kids (and the dogs) loved to jump over to the endless distress of my mother - bless her!

My favorite is Moss Gown by Providence Perfume. It's great, just great. My biggest perfume surprise is more interesting though. That is all the new fumes that I thought I'd love...but, many turned out to be quite the opposite. An example would be SL's Santal Majuscule,(major disappointment) and L Artisan Parfumeur Seville a l'aube, a very big no!

Serendipity strikes again! I just ordered six samples from Aftelier on friday and they arrived today! Fantastic service! I have a sample of Sepia but have been testing out Wild Roses today, which I am so happy I sampled despite being a self-proclaimed "Rose Hater"

I have to join Cleo and Poodle and say Sonoma Scent Studio was my find for 2012. Tabac Aurea and Forest Walk get heavy sniffage in my house.

My favorite perfume discovery for 2012 is Alkemia Perfumes, an independent perfumer on Etsy. I can't even remember where I first read about Alkemia, but I've bought several full bottles and a dozen samples and am head over heals in love with Vamp, Hex and Aphrodesia. They are all perfume oils, which I know not everyone is a fan of, but the value and quality are outstanding. Have you heard of Alkemia before, Gaia? I think you would find something you love. And my #2 would have to be Guerlain's Encens Mythique d’Orient - yes, total opposite end of the price spectrum from Alkemia, but it sure did have me obsessing and scheming for a way to afford a full, gorgeous bottle.

my favorite discovery of 2012 was 34 by dyptique. something most people just blew past, it seems, but something that has turned out to be an incredible chameleon of a scent for me. rich, haunting, comforting, a changeling.

My discovery in 2012 was that I actually found myself liking white florals. I know I have plenty to explore, but I'm not ashamed to admit that I like my $5 bottle of Sand & Sable! Thanks for the fabulous draw.

WOW! SEPIA! Perhaps the perfume that I most want to try- this is an amazing, Incredible draw! THANK YOU!!! 2012 was a year of trying a lot of perfumes for me, which was an eye opening, incredible experience. I was probably most smitten by a tiny sample of Bolt of Lightning that I was lucky to receive. I had really worked this one up in my imagination, and it did not disappoint at all. My fingers will remain tightly crossed!

Wow, what a potential treat - thanks for organizing this, Gaia! My favorite perfume discovery of 2012 was Seville a l'Aube, both because it is beautiful and being able to read the story of its creation in The Perfume Lover. ~~nozknoz

Smelling my mother's perfume (Shalimar) on New Year's Eve, 2012 was what spurred me to start researching perfumes. We embraced, and the scent hung about my coat for the rest of the night, and I suddenly realized how much delight and power and emotion and connection a scent can bestow—so I sent away for my first samples!

2012 was my "Never say never" year. Before 2012, if I asked, I would have said "No. I do not like vanilla based perfumes." Then I discovered CB I Hate Perfume's 7 Billion Hearts...amazing. Leather, was another "no, not for me" note, but then I tried Bottega Veneta and discovered that I do like leather! 2013 will be my year of adventure! I plan to try a much wider variety of scents, branching out from my beloved amber and iris notes. I'm excited!

all of them! lol Actually, I discovered Rose Anonyme of Atelier Cologne & Vengeance Extreme by Juliette Has A Gun (a perfume with special meaning in 2012!). At least I dumped last year's baggage and still enjoy the perfume. :)

I've just begun learning much more about perfume. I see someone else mentioned Lolita Lempicka--I found it on sale this year and it has been my first foray away from the scent I've been wearing. Didn't love it at first but it is continuously growing on me as I wear it and discover more about it.

Uhm, wow. This is crazy. Because SEPIA was my favourite discovery! I got sent a teensy sample, and boy am I hoarding that sucker. 2012 was also the year in which I truly learned to adore the mind-blowing Carillon pour un ange.What an amazing giveaway!

I think my best discovery that I had last year(as far as I recall) was Ineke's Sweet William which I tried in a sample pass .And subsequently bought this year with Christmas money.bookwyrmsmith at live dot com

Last year I made many interesting discoveries, as I dug deeper into perfume blogs and found out about decant sellers online. If I had to choose one single favorite (so hard!) it would have to be an Amouage, since this was the year I fell in love with their aesthetics and the quality of their products. So I'll go with Dia Man, which reminds me of the mood of my dear black Armani, while managing to be even plusher, deeper, more complex, I don't know... better?

Thank's for the very generous giveaway! I love everything I read about Mandy Aftel, and Sepia seems to be a masterpiece!

i would like very much to try this perfume as it is impossible to find it in Greece. My personal discovery during 2012 was Laura Tonatto's "Amir". A cherished fragrance, very precious to me, old fashioned, oriental, gourmand, ampery, rich, a beautiful mythe to wear on the skin. Always a pleasure to jump into your blog.

2012 was the year I was brave enough to wear my JAR perfumes more regularly : without fearing to shock people around me and feeling extra special wafting Diamond Water and Ferme tes Yeux.. Sheer indulgence.. And I also discovered the whole Arquiste line which is superbly edited..Thank you for the draw!!

My favorite discovery of 2012 was a fume I had been too snobby to try earlier. I got an old bottle of VS Rapture in a swap, and swooned for its 1980s style ambery-oriental overload. Thanks for the draw.

This year I have learned so much about perfume, thank you very much to websites such as yours. I never tried flankers before, always assuming they were just watered down versions of well-loved perfumes. I honestly thought they were never anything but marketing ploys.Enter Chanel Eau de Premier. Just lovely and I am enjoying it a lot.

My greatest discovery was Alchimie by Rochas by way of some samples randomly bought on eBay. It is the warmest, most comfortable scent I know.Of course, I found out soon enough that Alchimie was discontinued. Just my luck.

My signature scent is Coco by Chanel - I can't seem to get away from it - worn it since I remember and before that it was JOY and before that it was KL - wow brings back memories so in 2012 it is Coco my signature

I think my favourite perfume discovery of 2012 was Lubin Nuit de Longchamp. Got it in a swap and I've been wearing it quite a bit - it's a delightfully classic chypre with quite a bit of green - I'd go so far as to call it mossy! It goes with everything. Thank you for entering me in the draw.

Wow, what a generous giveaway/offer! My discovery this year was the long lost artistry of Lucien Lelong. I acquired a tiny bottle of Indiscret parfum extrait. A voluptuous oriental that is soft, spicy with a musk that develops about 6 hours later. Magic.

There were several fragrances I "discovered" in 2012 but one of my favorites (and this was a big surprise to me) is Hermes L'Ambre des Mervielles. I find it nearly impossible to describe, as it exhibits a very chameleon-like personality on my skin. One of only three fragrances in my entire collection that I will repurchase.

I am a Fan of Sepia.. My favorite discover would have to be Anat Fritz Tzora. So grateful for Perfume friends that send samples of things they just know I will love. Thanks for the opportunity to hoard more Sepia ;)

Though I had smelled it before, 2012 was the year I truly discovered Keiko Mecheri's Ume. My discovery was a fragrance-experience of a cold walk through an autumn dusk to meet a lover. The sky and bare trees are grey, but the windows of houses passed are glowing brightly amber. The thick wool scarf scratches around my red nose while my fingers ache in their mittens and my heart races. I love the kiss-like voluptuousness of the persimmon, the masculin hinoki behind the giddy flowers and the shimmery, iridescent quality of something that smells an awful lot like oolong tea. Ume, for me, has become a drunken and languorous fantasy which I cannot get enough of.

Undoubtedly the Pomegranate Noir from Jo Malone. The body creme is my preferred mode for it because it so rich and my body heat just brings up so much. By itself, it's lovely, but when you layer it with her Vanilla and Anise, it's like dying and going to heaven. Amazing.

My favorite discovery was Via Camarelle by Carthusia. I usually dislike anything citrusy, but once my sister started wearing this I couldn't stop smelling her. It's a light, bright scent on me, and I love it.

Jour Ensoleille by Sonoma Scent Studio, Le Labo OUD, ELdO Like This, Kenzo Jungle L'Elephant. The whole SSS line, actually. I didn't make it to Mandy Aftels December Open Studio (had to help my son prepare a French test....) so I still don't know what Sepia smells like....

Thank you Gaia and Mandy! My favorite scent discovery this year was the Angels Trumpet plant. I planted one and cannot wait for it to bloom. For perfume, it is difficult to choose a single one, because I enjoy exploring them. I have carefully treasured my little bottle of Lumiere , doling it out for dark days, and emptied Secret Garden. I have been spraying Black Cashmere these past few cold nights. And Lubin Black Jade is what I am planning for the first breath of spring. I loved Sepia when I first smelled it and would dearly love to wear it. Mary

Fragrance is the last beauty frontier for me, and this year, I finally began to explore it in earnest. Diane by Diane von Furstenberg was my favorite this year. I'm hoping 2013 brings me more by way of experimentation!

I can't say I'm a great perfumer-wearer or appreciater or smeller or whatever-anyone-can-doer with it. Just I have fun to know smth new. I haven't ever known that american fragrances may be good one. I mean Marc Jacob's 'Lola'. I haven't taken risk to wear it, just to buy to my friend, she is 24 and was absolutly happy with it. Probably, it's the main thing about any thing in the world--to make smb happy)

Amazing giveaway! My favourite discovery of 2012 is an amber and green tea perfume made during the Essence Workshop course in Montreal. I had no idea everything that was involved in making a perfume before taking that course and I am now pursuing the art further by taking the course with Mandy Aftel. Perfume making is such a beautiful art and I hope to be able to smell Sepia! Thank you Gaia and Mandy for this great contest!Elisabeth

Gaia, I'm glad you emphasized new-to-you. I sampled many fragrances this year but was obsessed with L'Eau d'Hiver, one of my few full bottle purchases in 2012. Sepia is on my very long sample list so thank you for the draw!

My favorite perfume discover in 2012 is Lumiere Blanche, scented body products is Aftelier's body oils, and I was able to reconnect with some Paris exclusives of Serge Lutens (Iris Silver Mist, and Tubereuse Criminelle)!

My favorite discovery of 2012 is probably Serge Lutens Tubereuse Criminelle. My husbands hates it so I likely won't ever get more than the sample I already have, but I do so love that wintergreen opening.

I bought myself my first Chanel this year- No. 5 eau Premiere, and I love love love it. It isn't lasting as long in this winter weather as it did in the summer heat, but I don't mind drenching myself in it :)

In 2012 I discovered mandy aftel and natural perfumes.I have been absolutely obsessed ever since.so I have discover pure essenses and absolutes and I am in love. For Christmas I received a natural perfumery kit and I have been lost in my senses ever since .I love bois de rose.And tarragon.I have not been blessed to smell a master blended perfume yet .... I only smell them in my dreams. Jen

I really only discovered perfume (by which I mean, fell down the perfume rabbit hole) in 2012, so there are tons of scents I could choose, but I think I have to go with Sonoma Scent Forest Walk. Being from the Pacific Northwest, full of trees and dampness, it smells like home.

Something I've had for years and could hardly ever smell until this past year: Caswell Massey 10% Mysore Sandalwood Oil. Just a drop on the inside of one wrist to slyly sniff throughout the day makes the chaos go away.

My biggest discovery was L'Heure Bleue and Jicky. The last one seemed to be a bit unacceptable for quite a long time but something has changed when i tried it recently and i feel it's gonna be my next purchase at Guerlain. Dominic, dwj05 at aol dot com

Looking through my records I tried 7 perfume samples in 2011 and 7 in 2012. I loved 5 of 7 from 2011 and only 2 of 7 from 2012. Madera by Omnia Profumo was one of the two. I think it's time to place another sample order! Thanks for hosting this giveaway!

I'd say my favorite 2012 discovery was SSS Nostalgie. I thought I would enjoy it--I'm an aldehyde fan--but in fact I adored it. And thanks for the Sepia drawing; the reviews I read (yours included) made it sound sooo interesting, plus I really like Mandy Aftelier's work. My fingers are crossed! :)

Lovely give-away! Etat Libre D'Orange's Rossy de Palma was one of my favorite discoveries this year - a mysterious bloody rose. It's rich and voluptuous and reminds me of the black Spanish soap my mother kept in her lingerie drawer. Gorgeous in a strange way, just like its namesake.

Money is tight, so I've been living off Birchbox samples when it comes to big ticket items like perfume. Then one month came along where they tried to get me promote their Birchbox Men boxes by trying to give me a cologne sample to "pass along"... so of course I used it myself. It was John Varvatos Artisan, and I completely loved it. Clean, fresh, and casual, without being soapy (or pink) or fruity. It stays close to the skin, and never gives me the headache that other "fresh" EDTs or perfumes tend to cause.

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